Yearly Meeting Gathering 2017

Who can attend

Yearly Meeting is when Quakers in Britain come together to worship, make decisions and spend time as a community.

Members of Britain Yearly Meeting

Those in formal membership of one of the area meetings within Britain Yearly Meeting are encouraged to attend and take part in the deliberations. To attend a Yearly Meeting Gathering you will need to book and pay for a place so that accommodation and other practical arrangements can be made for you. Bursaries are available.

To attend Yearly Meetings in London, no bookings are required and no charge is made. However, we do kindly request that you tell us of your intention to attend using an online form so that we can cater for those attending and reduce wastage.

Friends from other yearly meetings

Visiting Friends who are in membership but not of Britain Yearly Meeting “may attend the sessions of the Yearly Meeting on producing a travelling minute or letter of introduction signed by the clerk of their own meeting or otherwise satisfying the clerk of their membership" (Quaker faith & practice 6.14). Please send these in advance to the Yearly Meeting Office, or deliver it to the Clerk's table after the first session.

Friends not in membership

Attenders who want to attend sessions can do so with the permission of the Yearly Meeting Clerk. They should ask an elder at their local meeting to write a letter of support to the Yearly Meeting Clerks via Friends House, as set out in Quaker faith & practice 6.15. In this letter, the elder should confirm that they are content that the attender knows what to expect and that it is appropriate that they attend Yearly Meeting. Last-minute requests should not be made.

Non-members who attend Young Friends General Meeting (YFGM) may ask a co-clerk of YFGM to support their attendance at Yearly Meeting in session. Elders' supporting letters should not come from immediate family.

Yearly Meeting Gathering

Family members and friends of Quakers attending are also welcome to join our community for Yearly Meeting Gathering. There will be lots of activities for them to take part in. Should they wish to attend the Yearly Meeting business sessions, permission will need to be sought in advance, (see Friends not in membership above).